


The Keyblade War

by iceepsy



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Angst and Feels, F/M, Gen, Implied invira, M/M, One-sided iraced, a fair warning but you know it's going to be sad, everyone dies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-02
Updated: 2017-10-05
Packaged: 2018-11-22 06:15:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 5,587
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11374269
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iceepsy/pseuds/iceepsy
Summary: The once proud and strong masters meet their end through the inevitable fight that is the Keyblade War.





	1. Gula

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gula was the first to die. A regrettable lover's tale.

Gula stares at the canyon, most likely to be their permanent resting home. He looks into the sky, devoid of stars and the moon. Where are the worlds they have all been to? He feels his union’s lux gathered around him, making up for the lack of stars. It’s now or never and he has to at least try.

Gula, despite being convinced out of it by Ava prior, attempts to summon Kingdom Hearts. In the act of doing so, the boy has never felt more scared in his life. He has always come to terms with his own death if his legacy lives on or whatnot, but the sheer energy drained from him and little progress made overwhelmed him. His union’s lux, after years of gathering seemed to be only a small droplet against the vast tide pushing Kingdom Hearts. Would any amount of lux be enough? He wants the Master back, he wants the war to stop, he wants things to go back before the Master gave them those accursed books, before he forced himself to cut ties for some vague page. He wants he wants he wants he wants he wants he wants Ava. Ava, Ava, Ava, Ava and her smiles to come back. Kingdom Hearts appears small above the battlefield but he wavers. He stops; summoning took up a good portion of his strength and any more will kill him. Gula’s realistic; even if he gave up his life, Kingdom Hearts will not come. He needs to find Ava.

To apologize for breaking their promise(s).

The elder foretellers cut down wielders of opposing unions. Gula instead searches for Ava’s Dandelions who have chosen not to flee. He knows Ava will try to protect them. In this vast murder ground, finding them is his best shot at finding her. He challenges them each nonchalantly by taunting them and hiding the fact he’s tired and has to put in more energy with each successive battle. “Why are you here? Ava gave you a duty. Are you turning your back on your comrades?” He almost laughs at the sheer hypocrisy of his words. With members of his own union, he chooses to give them a stern talk instead. He hears Aced’s voice in the back of his mind, “so Gula does indeed have a heart?” He’s going mad.

Eventually, Ava finds him, looking as battered as he feels. She breathes, speaking in nothing but a whisper that he has to strain his ears, “So you tried, huh.”

It’s not a question; Ava knows from the glow on the battlefield. However dim, the light of Kingdom Hearts shines on fallen keyblades. A deflection tumbles out of his mouth without thought. He waves almost nonchalantly, “And look what good that did for me.” But Gula knows Ava can tell he’s hurting.

“Why specifically target my Dandelions?”

 ~~To lead me to you~~ “To give them a push.”

Ava’s voice wavers, “I’m sorry, Gula, I can’t let you keep doing that. Protecting them is my priority. We-we have to follow through with the Master’s prophecy, do we not?” She points her keyblade at him.

Of course not, he wants to retort. He has thousands of thoughts swimming in his head that if he could just convince her just maybe _—_ but Ava is always right and Gula raises his keyblade in return. In war, it is inevitable that friends fight. If he dies, he’s glad it will be by her hands.

* * *

 

All fights stop when there is a victor; history has always deemed it to be so. Ava thinks bitterly as Gula’s keyblade disappears and as he collapses onto the ground.  Ava rushes to support him, but she instead collapses; it’s a side effect of Gula’s magic, which though weak, targets an opponent’s nerves. She’s a fool, too keen on following the Master’s orders, too blind by rules and righteousness to see this as the inevitable outcome. She somehow manages to crawl her way to Gula, sitting them both up.

The masks given to them by their Master can take quite a beating but cannot withstand everything. The polished sheen of Gula’s leopard mask is lost: the paint melted from her flames, muddling the colors. The side of his mask cracked, caused by an explosion that Ava immediately regretted. Gula thankfully was fast enough to get mostly out of harm’s way. Mostly. The blast knocked his hood off and sent the mask’s metal ears flying. It shattered the right half of his mask and seared what looks to be a terrible burn. Instinct kicks in and she tries healing him, her hands glowing green. However, Gula must have just regained consciousness and weakly tries to swat her hands away.

“Ava, it’s no use. Don’t _—_ don’t waste your energy on me,” he hoarsely chokes out.

Gula’s hands are raw and blistered. Ava sighs, holding back tears. He's right. She chooses instead to lightly hold his hands _,_ that is, if her own hands would let her. Ava exhales and casts esuna to wear the paralysis off. Gula’s paralysis distorts magic and she is too tired to attempt anything other than the basic spell. From the years she’s known him, Gula likes touch, but the condition of his hands won’t even allow such a small comfort. Despite his pleas, Ava grasps at her remaining magic and heals his hands. His hands twitch and he grabs hers more firmly.

He asks if she could remove their masks. It’s so faint that she needed to lean closer to hear. She wants to reprimand him _—“_ It’s against the Master’s teachings. You’re not dead Gula; you just need to rest.” Nevertheless, she knows and sees the fragility of his life, and complies. Her own mask has been chipped, paint peeling, covered in blood and dust. Gula has grown in the past few years: his face and eyes have become more structured. His hair, which was kept neat in the past, now hangs wildly from his eyes. He gives an embarrassed smile, as best as he could given the pain he’s in, and his eyes soften when he looks at her. Ava suddenly feels self conscious; she hasn’t much changed since the last time they saw each other, which was on the clock tower balcony before their masters ceremony.  With nothing to distract her eyes from the burn, Ava’s tears fall.

Gula softly whispers thanks, and smiles as he brushes a loose strand of hair from her face. He’s crying as well. He admits that he has liked her for a long time, and Ava, once the adrenaline has worn off, has never felt more guilty. What had she done? She just killed her best friend; they could have had a future together. Gula seems to have read her mind and says how it’s ok; he doesn’t regret his actions nor how his life played our. This was played by the prophecy and we couldn’t do anything. But he’s glad, and Ava has never seen Gula so vulnerable since the time he begged her to help him summon Kingdom Hearts, to have met her and be with her until the end. She cries more and smiles shakily, “I know, Gula. You have the worst time for confessions.” It gets a smile out of him. He asks, coughing, to try and survive this war if she’s not going to run.

Gula closes his eyes for the last time. “Ava, please keep doing the right thing.”


	2. Invi

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The other deaths were not as glorious. Invi died second, protecting her friends till the end.

Gula breathed his one last breath with a sad smile on his face. Ava, hands trembling, puts their masks back on. She knows Gula, as rebellious as he’s been lately, would want to keep the age long tradition of secrecy using the Master’s mask. Tradition. She tastes bile in her mouth from the thought. Ava chokes back a laugh. Tradition has caused her nothing but pain but she doesn’t know how to do anything else. She stands up, shaking from the last effects of Gula’s magic and goes to check on the last of her apprehensive Dandelions. She’s a follower to the end.

Unfortunately, the rest are on the other side of the canyon, where Aced and Ira are fighting. Ava runs into Invi blocking her path. A vast crystalline barrier stands behind the eldest foreteller. If Invi learned it from Ira, Ava hazily thinks, then sheer force would not be enough to break it. Invi leans heavily on her keyblade; it is clear she is exerting a vast amount of magic to keep the barrier in place. Her mask is also in poor shape: the serpent’s tail has been broken off and her visor chipped. Unlike with Gula’s, Ava can clearly see Invi’s dark blue eyes. They look almost sad.

Invi speaks, her voice ringing clearly, “I’m sorry, Ava, I cannot let anyone through. Aced and Ira are fighting and I need to mitigate damage.” She pauses and looks around, “Have you seen Gula? I unfortunately never passed him.”

Ava looks straight at her, trying to keep her voice steady, “Dead. Invi, let me through.”

Invi averts her eyes, “I’m really sorry, Ava. I know how much he meant to you. He was like our family. Unfortunately, I cannot let you; I promised Ira.”

Ava shakes her head, why did it come to this? Her emotions are all mixed; she needs to check on the other Dandelions, needs to make it up to Gula, needs to do something about her gnawing guilt and her burning anger. Ava summons her keyblade, “I’m sorry, Invi, please don’t hold back,” and charges.

In all the battles she’s had with Invi, Ava has never been able to beat the eldest foreteller. She supposes it’s because her favored element is weak against that of Invi’s. At this moment, Ava can’t bring herself to use fire. Not after Gula. Instead, Ava attacks like her old friend. Anything to keep him in her memory. She’s fast enough to mimic his style and has battled him enough to pick up a few advanced thunder spells. Alas, her keyblade is not made for rapid attacks and she never had the stamina to keep up a constant barrage. Throughout all of Ava’s attacks, Invi chooses to block or dodge. “Ava, you’re hurting, but please be rational. Fighting is not going to help anyone.”

Ava stops, panting. Her hand twitches though Gula’s paralysis has long since worn off. “I need to check on the other Dandelions. Invi, please, that is my role.”

Invi talks about the dangers past the wall; Ira and Aced are going all out. Ira wants a fair fight; it’s not safe. Alas, Ava isn’t listening anymore. Invi’s attention has been diverted and the barrier has been weakened.

Ava runs past Invi, jumps, and with all her might, swings her keyblade on the blockade. Immediately, she hears the sound of breaking glass and Invi screaming. Ava tumbles as Invi pushes her aside _—_ away from the trap mines the other had set as a backup. The youngest foreteller wakens to an explosion and the smell of burning. Ava’s afraid of what she’ll see once the smoke clears and quickly runs away.


	3. Ava

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ava was the third to die. Some historians may call it pitiful.

Ava’s pained; she doesn’t want to think about Invi and the splintered shards of her mask that reveal the broken blue of her eyes. Invi and the echoes of her anguished cries as the earth shatters, the breaking of sinew and bone. It’s all in her head; the blast noise covered most of it, leaving Ava’s ears still ringing, but she hears it nonetheless, just like the reverberations of Gula’s gasps, grunts, as she sent explosions directed at him. His hoarse coughing fits as smoke fills the sky, covering over the light of Kingdom Hearts. It’s ingrained in her memory, with what little time she has left breathing. Ava grasps her keyblade until she can see each joint in her hand, until it turns white. Her hand shakes again, causing her grip to tighten. A tremor runs through her body.

Ava’s seen to many of her questioning Dandelions, of the little that still stand. She spots the one wielder who had hung out with Ephemer struggling to stand. Invi, wearily clutching her keyblade, flashes through her mind. Ava walks slowly up to the pour soul.

“You…,“ she trails off.

“Master Ava! I was looking for you.“ The visor blocks their face, only their voice betrays their confused expression. Gula’s face flashes in front of her, Ava staggers. Any words they say are drowned out by Gula’s _—_ “I merely gave them a push. I was looking for you. I need to talk to you.“ She's heard enough. She has recounted the meeting enough times and points her keyblade once again.

“Prepare yourself.“ When they don’t, Invi’s voice rings. “Ava, please calm down.“ She can’t she can’t she cant shecant shecantcanctnc

In fury, Ava orders them again to prepare themselves. They do and strike her cautiously. At this point, her magic is mostly depleted and despite her outburst, the most she wants to do is test them. She sticks to physical attacks.

The kid is good, withstanding her multitude of barrages (picked up from Gula). Kid…it brings her back to a conversation she and Gula had in the early days after the Master left, what seemed like ages ago. They’re not much older than us, Gula had commented. Ava didn’t know how to respond back then, even now she still doesn’t know. All she can do is guide them, like the Master did for her, or so she thinks.

With all the others, she implores the wielder to reconsider leaving with the other Dandelions. They ask her to escape as well, but she only tersely replies that the Keyblade War is her fight, that she is responsible for a multitude of other wielders. The kid argues her reason is why they can’t leave their other friends behind either. With nothing more she can say, Ava turns her back to find another.

She’s battled many others since that one fledgling, but the conversation continues to play in her mind. She can only hope that they made it out ok.

* * *

 

She’s out of magic to heal her injuries. She needs to rest. It’s for Gula’s sake as well; Ava can’t keep his promise if she’s running past the point of exhaustion and finds a small cove to hide in. She takes off her mask, examining the chips and dents, and grimaces. Half of it must have been crushed when she ran into the explosion. She lost an ear at some point as well. How pitiful she must have looked to her union and Dandelions.

She closes her eyes, thinking about the lives lost today. Just one final rest before finding Ira…

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  
> 
> She never opens them again.


	4. Aced

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aced died next. The expected fight.

Ira’s blade clangs against his once more, sending out heated sparks of metal. His ornate mask is in tatters; the long mane has been haphazardly cut, synthetic hair flowing freely. In another time, Aced would have mused how similar it looks to Ira’s real hair. It makes him look like the barbarian from the world of apes. Ira’s horn has long been broken.

He respected Ira; why are they fighting? Under the hazy light of the moon, the only answer he can give is the prophecy clouded their minds, like he warned all those years ago. In his likely last moments of life, he may as well admit (to him and no one else) maybe he harbored deeper emotions than respect towards Ira. The thoughts buzzing in his skull tell him his feelings would never be validated. Ira...respected him, that much Aced was sure; they were comrades. Despite the others singling him out as the traitor, Ira assured him when he was injured and so close to collapse. Never before had he been grateful that his mask covered his blush.

Aced had always wondered what happened between the boy and Ira. Multiple times, he caught Gula staring daggers at the older man-or so he assumed given the masks blocked their eyes. “The leader was looking for him,” was all Invi mentioned at one point.

After the confrontations, Gula kept more to himself, frantically pushing his union members collect Lux. He was scheming something; stubbornly, Ava wouldn’t tell. She admitted later to tending his injuries before he took off. The way her eyes averted told a larger story. Those two...had always been close but Aced knew something, like a fallout, happened prior to Gula’s change in behavior. Though Gula showed up to meetings, his disheveled blonde hair peeking from under his hood, he pushed himself far into a corner away from himself and Ira; he said little; and he kept close to Ava. Still, there was an unspoken distance between the youngest foretellers. No matter the reason, Gula collected Lux at a startling pace; Aced did the same, also urging the Ursus union to keep up as a sign of retaliation and strength. Ira soon followed with Invi and Ava tagging behind.

It wasn’t until the final battle that he realized Ira found something that caused him to look at Aced with cold eyes. Ira blocked him from killing a meager wielder. At that point, Aced released all his harbored hatred, rage, jealousy. For all he _respected_ Ira, enough was enough. Why was _he_ picked? Ira can’t lead; he blurts the first thing that comes to his mind, regardless of the consequences, and then awkwardly attempts to maneuver himself out, always looking to Invi for help. Invi, with such duty, always soothed him but any damage Ira caused was already done.

 _He,_ should have been leader. Aced - charismatic - who convinced Gula, _Gula_ , of all people to join him in an alliance. Ira is the closed off person locked in his clock tower. In the beginning, just after the Master left, Aced tried to follow the Master’s wishes in support of Ira.

“Hm? Oh, I had Invi take care of that,” Ira responded once, while pouring over the prophecy yet again. In another case, Aced asked about the outbreak of interunion fights. Ira paused before speaking slowly, “Invi mentioned no such thing. I’ll have her look into resolving such conflicts.” Those comments had caused Aced to bristle. He was second-in-command was he not? It should not be in Invi’s jurisdiction. Unfortunately, Ira’s the leader and what he says goes. He knew those two were always close, being the longest trained of the Master’s apprentices. Frustratingly, once the Master left, the only person Ira confided in was Invi. Did something happen between them? ...Something that he didn’t - doesn’t want to - know about?

Aced’s mask cracks and crumbles against his touch, frost settles in his breath. Invi tried to intervene earlier between him and Ira; her magic wrapped and curled around his leg akin to her motif. It caught him, biting, freezing part of his foot before he had time to cast fire. Aced cursed; he’s learned the hard way many times before; Invi’s ice does not melt easily. In retaliation, he left his own mark on her, throwing and smashing the hilt of his keyblade into her face. Coming between the hostile pair, Ira, to his surprise, broke the ice and asked Invi to step down. As always, Invi without question, nodded and ran in the other direction.

“I mean it when I say a fair fight, my old friend; it’s an unfortunate fate that we must fight.” Aced growled in response.

Ira sends another gale, returning Aced’s mind back to the task at hand. Despite Ira spending most of his time cooped up in the tower, his wind magic is still as sharp as ever. Aced blocks with pillars of earth but some of the gusts still manage to slice through. And boulders he sends are deflected by the cyclone swirling around Ira. The ultimate defensive barrier indeed.

Aced may be slow, he himself admits, but he’s not dumb. Large boulders may be sent off course, but finer particles can still cause a disturbance. Ava and Gula used the same trick when teaming against the new leader. Ava’s fire and Gula’s lightning greatly hindered the swirling storm. Being young apprentices back then, they were ultimately defeated when Ira through back same force they powered. Aced’s not like that; he can handle any little pebbles that Ira throws back at him. With his opponent distracted from the sand storm, Aced charges, pushing Ira into a deep crevice with a crunch. The tornado disperses, showering the two in dust.

He-he did it. Like Gula, the unicorn foreteller relies on open spaces for maximum effect. Surrounded by walls of rock, his winds are but little gusts. Yet, in the midst of victory, the thought of killing Ira makes his stomach drop. His bestfriendlovedone? Aced’s a warrior even so it makes him nauseous. What comes next is a terrible feeling, a light-headedness that screams for Aced to breathe. He can’t. Palm pressed on Ira’s torso, he struggles for words.

Ira’s still, staring up at him before closing his eyes. He’s mouthing what seems to be a prayer. He abruptly kicks Aced away. He swiftly summons his keyblade again.

Aced clutches his throat, staring at Ira, who is leaning heavily against the wall. He can’t move. Ira frowns and shakes his head.

He can almost hear muffled words of, “I can’t. Not like this.” He hears a pop and a rush of air. Aced takes in a deep breath.

Suddenly, Ira jumps, as if flying, out of the crevice they’ve trapped themselves into. A gust of air follows him. What else can he do but follow? He jumps toward the sun, intending to cut it down akin to the legends said in a time when there were many more in the sky. The rush of air pulls him down, but Aced is stronger than that, hitting rocks out of the canyon to use as stepping stones.

And like that, as suddenly as it came, the sun melted his wings. Aced...he falls...like Icarus blinded by light. [though he’s stronger than wax, nothing can beat his sun.]

The boulders he threw onto the field are sent hurling down at him, trapping him in the vacuum of the canyon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aced's thoughts are all over the place, and that's something I hoped to convey well.


	5. Ira

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The last is Ira. A world of forgotten dreams.

With that last strike, shale crushing bone, Ira knows that the war is over. It’s in his gut. It’s in the way the wind silently blows, echoing through the deep canyon, mocking him. It’s in the look - the hurt - on Aced’s face as the boulders fell. It’s in the last words he exchanged with Invi, brisk and professional. It’s in the last glances he shared with Gula and Ava before they all parted ways.

Ira’s breath hitches; Aced’s face rings of shock. It’s unforgivable; he let his anger overtake him. He immediately regretted his actions, but now, he can only accept the consequences. All he can do now is close Aced’s eyes and mouth a prayer to whichever god or master listening. How much darkness must be in his heart for him to kill an old friend? Never had he thought the hours (days, years) he spent pouring over the book of prophecies would amount to this ending. Ira carefully moves the cracked conglomerate crushing Aced and gingerly lifts him up, throwing his companion’s arm around his shoulder. He’s reminded of those years ago: seeing the brawnier man clutching against the brick and mortar buildings of Daybreak Town. “Gula,” Aced whispered, “has known all along there was a traitor.” Even Gula’s obsession and methodical examination of the lost page was unable to prevent this tragedy.

“The darkness will prevail and the light will expire.” The Master was right. As he always was, despite his eccentric ways.

Aced’s limp despite Ira’s grip. He can only hope the others made it out alive despite the miniscule probability. He has to believe. To keep his light. That said, he tries to ignore the piled bodies of the keyblade warriors, some no older than Ava and Gula, littering the landscape.

* * *

 

Ava was found in a small cove, not far from his fight with Aced. Ira sees pink and is immediately overcome with relief. She’s only resting. Right? He hobbles towards her while half-carting half-hauling Aced. He whispers another prayer for defacement of the dead. Upon closer examination, peaking into the crevice, he sees Ava sit against the wall, her head limply flopping forward. Ira’s heart breaks. Only half of her treasured mask rests precariously in her open palm. The other half must have long since been destroyed. He tries lifting her head in hopes for a small miracle. For Ava to stir. Instead, he’s met with the sight of her pained expression and the feeling of slight resistance from her contracted muscles when he tries to smooth her face into peaceful sleep.

Ira fights back tears. What did she go through to cause her to have such nightmares? He shutters and stops the train of thought. They all just went through it. Ira had secretly hoped of the six - five - foretellers, Ava would be the one to make it out. And not him. Ava, their ray of sunshine. Ava, and her fierce loyalty. After the traitor incident and Aced’s reveal, Ava refused give up Gula’s location. Later, he’d catch her sometimes, head tilted, staring at him. She’d soon rapidly turn her head, embarrassed to be caught. Ira never knew what she was thinking; Ava hides everything under a laugh and a smile. Then again, he never did try to properly address Ava’s concerns. He had somehow - naively - hoped his well intentioned - subjective - actions would be all the explaination needed. The truth of the traitor needed to be revealed for there to be a chance to fight the darkness. Invi only placed her hand on his shoulder when Ira confessed his doubts of being the leader: how he never knew how to properly communicate.

Ava’s deaf to his apologies, despite how many he has to give. All he can do is pocket her mask and lift her body out with his other hand. Groaning under the combined dead weight, he continues forward.

He makes it to the middle of the battlefield where the five of them first met, surrounded by their union members, before suddenly dropping Aced and Ava. The two land with a muffled thud and Ira cringes. He’s standing Gingerly, Ira sets Aced and Ava into a better position on the ground. They’re laying in a straight line, their shoulders barely touching, hands folded across their chests. On a better day, he would have wondered about the omen of the four outreaching paths cleared of debris, keyblades, and fallen warriors. If he were not in panic, he would have wondered about the perfectly formed sigil and its relation to the prophecy. However, the prophecy has been told and he needs to find Gula and Invi.

* * *

 

Invi was the hardest to find - or to say more accurately - _all_ of Invi was hard to find. Despite the horrors he experienced during his training, nothing prepared him for the smell of charred flesh and the sight of Invi laying like a thrown ragdoll. He’s reminded of the explosion heard hours before that must have been the cause. He doesn’t want to limp closer and see the state of his longest friend. Ira would rather fight thousands of shadows or fight the darkness in his own heart than come to terms with Invi’s death. At least shadows don’t rot or decay, waiting to be buried.

Ira holds his breath. Like with Ava, Invi’s mask was blown in two. The exposed left side of her face was partially blown off, exposing the soft tissue and teeth underneath. The blood has already drained from her face, pooling at the base of her skull, giving her a ghostly-pale complexion. It leaks, spreading across the dried ground. Ira takes a step back, unable to hold in his nausea. One arm has been blown off, leaving the bone visible. Her other limbs have been twisted in unnatural angles. Bile forms in his mouth and he runs to the closest rock before retching.

He starts searching for more of Invi after his stomach is unable to clear anymore. Her arm is found blown several feet away. It’s stiff and it doesn’t feel right to touch. Like it’s sacrilege. Ira tries to reattach the arm but healing magic does not work well on the dead. The arm weakly holds but any sudden movement would break it yet again. Carefully, he tries to move Invi’s other limbs into a better position for carrying but it’s difficult with her body setting into rigor mortis and the cracking of her bones as he resets them back in their sockets.

Ira looks at Invi, head cradled against his shoulder, her good side facing him, and thinks back to feather-light touches, surreptitious glances, and whispers he knew would amount to nothing but enjoyed nonetheless. He admits to wishing more than once for heated, impassioned nights that never came. Their relationship had always been subtle kinesics cues layered over a rouse of professionalism. For as long as he’s been a keyblade wielder, Invi has always been by his side. She was a silent, sturdy presence who kept him grounded. Really, he couldn’t wish for a better partner. And now, he doesn’t know what he’s going to do. Who will he awkwardly try to make laugh, leave bookmarked sections of poetry for, or ask for guidance on public speaking? Invi looks to be smiling when she died. Ira can only hope she’s in a better place.

He brings her back to the center and lays her next to Aced.

* * *

 

He finds Gula last, at the other end of the canyon. Like Ava, he’s sitting in a small alcove, his hands placed neatly on his lap. Unlike Ava, Gula looks to be peacefully sleeping. It’s only when Ira called and shakes the young man’s shoulders that he realizes Gula has long been dead.

Ira’s relationship with Gula was unfortunately never the same after his talk with the younger man. Stubbornness must have been a trait in all of them; he remembers raising his voice, stuttering, internally reasoning his actions were justified, desperate to get information out that could prevent the darkness. Though he quickly admitted his role, Gula soon afterward remained mum. It was only as hours dragged on did Gula relent and talk about the page. It was a terrible explanation filled with vague mentions of a sigil. Ira remained stupidly unconvinced, “Lies!” he had exploded, shaking the other’s shoulder, “Where is your proof? You must know more!” It was only when he saw the fright in Gula’s eyes that he abruptly let the leopard forteller go. Maybe he shouldn’t have. Maybe he should have apologized. Ira swallows a laugh, the sour taste of acid still stains his mouth. There’s too many apologies to give in this lifetime.

Ira can only imagine the fight he’s been through. Gula has extreme burns on his face and traces of them on his hands, where the skin did not heal properly. It’s the tell-tale signs of Ava’s magic, though it’s curious why she only healed his hands.

Ira places him next to the youngest foreteller as he knew how well the two got along; Gula’s crush was the worst kept secret of the Daybreak Town Clocktower. Maybe the afterworld would be better for the two.

* * *

 

With everyone found, the realization sinks in. Ira collapses, his knees suddenly weak. Given how careless a leader he was, why is he the only one left? Given how careless a leader he is, maybe he does deserve such a fate?

Ira sits down in front of his dead companions, staring over their bodies at Kingdom Hearts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ira’s relationship with Gula was never really repaired, which is why he comments on that first before noticing Gula’s wounds.


	6. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luxu

Luxu heaves a sigh as he stares down at the sight beneath him. Ira sits down next to his - no, their - dead friends. How often had he wished to join them, talk with them, and interact with them again. Ava sought him once before the war started, but it was as followed in his copy of the book of prophecies. He was antagonistic and their blades clashed in a resounding sound, indicating the unravelling of peace and the start of the war.

The sixth apprentice summons the Master’s keyblade. The book had written none would be alive. If Ira still breathes, would he have to kill him? Luxu really hopes for that not to be the case. The Master only told him to be a watcher of the events, but a prophecy is a prophecy no matter how it’s carried out. If they deviate, then Luxu has to step in and fix it, or so he was instructed. So far, he hasn’t needed to interfere. The other’s books did not tell the full story; only he and the Master know of the events to come. “It’s for the best,” the Master told him in an unexpected moment of solemnity. 

He looks across the night sky. The scattered keyblades form a perfect outline of the sigil; the Master’s plan is proceeding smoothly. The  _ thing _ Gula had tried to summon was but a pale comparison to the real Kingdom Hearts. None of them ever knew what it looked like and Lux was a poor substitute to real hearts. The fake is already fading from the sky. The real one...he hopes will never appear. “Are you satisfied now?” he angrily whispers into the air. The blowing wind only continues to tease him.  _ Maybe. Maybe. _

Gripping the Master’s blade, Luxu descends to finish the prophecy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And it's done! it's been a wild ride. I had this chapter published on tumblr prior and only got around now to edit it.

**Author's Note:**

> The fics also have corresponding drawings I did found on my tumblr.


End file.
